A digital camera needed for a total newbie...

[aryayush]

... and the newbie in question is me. I do not have the slightest clue about digital cameras and I want to buy one.

I have just some very basic requirements:
1. The cost should be about average, or just a tad above it. I have no clue what is the average though. Maybe 20K is considered average. If it is too high, I want it cheaper. Sorry for confusing you! I just want a good camera and I don't want people to look at me weirdly when I tell them the price! I hope you know what I mean. I am facing this problem with my notebook and do not want to go through a re-run.
2. I want it to have good connectivity. Are there cameras out there that can connect through FireWire 800 and over Wi-Fi? If yes, I want these features.
3. I want it to record videos too, so I guess I want a camcorder. Whatever. I want it to record high quality videos and take high quality stills.
4. A large preview screen would be awesome.
5. I would love it if a memory card is not the preferred media used for storage. I won't mind it, but I would prefer some other medium. Are there any other mediums?
6. Good looks are also one of the requirements, though not at the cost of either of the above five requirements.

Sorry for such a stupid post! I really have no idea about this so you guys might want to excuse me.

Thank you... but only if you help me! Not just for reading this post.

 

[Sourabh]

I found this digicam buying guide recently on TrustedReviews and found it to be really well written to help newbies.

I will admit I don't know much about them either, I plan to get one this year (finally). I have found that the retail prices and grey market prices differ by a huge margin when it comes to digicams. For prices in India, check www.jjmehta.com

For a sub-20k budget, you can look at the Canon Powershot A710 IS (7.1MP, 6x Optical Zoom, Image Stabilisation and High-speed ISO 800)

 

[desh2s]

you can go for semi professional camera in the budget.
sony cybershot DSC H5 isa good option in the budget
7.1 MP, 12x optical zoom, Image Stablisation, 3" large LCD and much more

or you can go for compact one
sony cybershot DSC N2
sony cybershot DSC N1

 

[aryayush]

WOW! Two replies in two days. That's a lot of help. (Yeah, that was an attempt at being sarcastic!)

Thanks for the link to the buyer's guide, Sourabh! What are the specifications for the later two cameras you mentioned, desh2s? I am going for a compact camera.

What is the Canon IXUS 850IS like? And I don't really want a camcorder. Just a digicam will do.
__________
I have shortlisted three cameras:

Canon PowerShot SD800 IS (also known as Canon Digital IXUS 850IS)
Sony Cyber Shot DSC T10
Canon PowerShot SD1000 (also known as Canon Digital IXUS 70)

Which of these three should I opt for? Please help me out there! Is there some other worthy contender I am missing out? I need some replies, guys.

 

[desh2s]

@aryayush

you can go for sony cybershot DSC N2 or sony cybershot DSC N1. Both are having a lot of features. you see the reviews here

*www.dcresource.com/reviews/sony/dsc_n1-review/
*www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06091101sonydsct50dscn2.asp

canon cameras are bit costlier than sony. for compact cameras you can very well opt for sony. These cameras are well worth for money.

 

[aryayush]

Doesn't it look ugly?

What is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 like?

Which one is the best in the 'DSC-T' series?

 

[gxsaurav]

What do u need it for? Casual usage is all I can guess. Fot this 20k a is a lot, 7.1 Megapixel means a full poster size print . For normal home use, 4 mp is enough.

What you should look while buying a digital camera is not just the MP but also many other thigs such as color reproduction, viewfinder, & most important shutter speed, how much time it takes to save a picture. I would recommend a 4 MP Camera with faster shutter speed over a 7.1 MP Camera with low shutter speed compared to 4 MP Model. Same some money if you like.

Canon Powershot A540, that would be enough for you unless you are a shutterbug or Pro user. It captures 640X480 Videos at 30fps but requires a memory card.All digicams do, unless it is a JVC handicam

 

[Pathik]

I just want a good camera and I don't want people to look at me weirdly when I tell them the price! I hope you know what I mean. I am facing this problem with my notebook and do not want to go through a re-run.

do u mean u feel weird wit ur macbook pro????

 

[gxsaurav]

^^^^ It sure is weird when people ask "Why in the world u spend Rs 1.47 lakh just for a white colored laptop "

anyway, back to topic.

 

[aryayush]

do u mean u feel weird wit ur macbook pro????

No, I don't. Every person who asks me about the price of my notebook is shocked when I tell them the price. I can see their point though. I have yet to meet someone who has a more expensive notebook than mine. Most people do not even know that there are even more expensive notebooks out there.

Anyway, I am really confused between two cameras now:

*site-in.canon-asia.com/images/digitalcamera/ixus850is/ixus850is.jpg
Canon PowerShot SD800 IS

Format: Ultra Compact
Price : US$393
Image ratio: 4:3, 3:2
Sensor photo detectors: 7.1 million
Sensor size: 1/2.5 "
ISO rating: Auto, 80 ,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Zoom tele (T): 105 mm (3.8 x)
Auto focus type: AiAF TTL 9-point (with face detection)
Macro focus range: 3 cm
Aperture range: F2.8 - F5.8
Min shutter: 15 sec
Max shutter: 1/1600 sec
Flash guide no.: 4.0 m (13.1 ft) 0 m
Continuous Drive: Yes, 1.7 fps, unlimited
Movie Clips: Yes, 640 x 480 @ 30/15 fps, 320 x 240 @ 60/30/15 fps, 160 x 120 @ 15 fps
Quality Levels: Super-Fine, Fine, Normal
Viewfinder: Optical
LCD: 2.5 "
LCD Pixels: 207,000
Weight (inc. batteries): 195 g (6.9 oz)
Dimensions: 90 x 58 x 25 mm (3.5 x 2.3 x 1 in)


*images.panasonic.com/static/models/dmc-tz3a.jpg
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3

Format: Compact
Price : US$349
Image ratio: 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Sensor photo detectors: 8.5 million
Sensor size: 1/2.35 "
ISO rating: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250, (3200 high mode)
Zoom tele (T): 280 mm (10 x)
Auto focus type: TTL
Macro focus range: 5 cm
Aperture range: F3.3 - F4.9
Min shutter: 8 sec
Max shutter: 1/2000 sec
Flash guide no.: 4.2 m (13.7 ft) 2 m
Continuous Drive: Yes, 3 or 2 fps, max 5 images
Movie Clips: Yes, 848 x 480, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 @ 30/10 fps
Quality Levels: Fine, Standard
LCD: 3 "
LCD Pixels: 230,000
Weight (inc. batteries): 280 g (9.9 oz)
Dimensions: 105 x 59 x 37 mm (4.1 x 2.3 x 1.5 in)


The specifications listed above are only the ones that differ. The rest of the specifications are the same. To see a full feature-by-feature comparison of the two cameras, head over to this page.

Which of the two should I opt for and why?
Please please help me!
Thank you!

 

[krazyfrog]

I think you should take a look at Sony cams too. Here *www.sonyindia.co.in/subcategorylist.do?catid=292

 

[ambandla]

Things to look for while buying digtal cam:

1) Don't get awed by the megapixel count. A 5mp should be more than enough for us.

2) Don't buy light weigh cam's like Nikon S series. It's difficult to get stable pictures with these (though image stabilizer is on).

3) Better go for Canon or Nikon as menu navigator is much better and Nikon a re a bit pricey.

4) Sony cams are good but are delicate is a little bit difficult to handle.


as advised by saurav, canon powershot A540 is very good cam. Alson check Canon PowerShot SD630 which is a little bit lighter then A540.


My list:

Canon PowerShot S40
canon powershot A540
Canon PowerShot SD630
Canon PowerShot A640 (10 mega pixel cam if you wanna go for ultra high end resolution)
Canon A710 IS
Canon PowerShot SD800 IS

 

[aryayush]

But the Panasonic camera is capable of shooting in the widescreen format. It also shoots high quality video, has 10x optical zoom, a three inch screen and is a lot cheaper than the Canon.

I really don't see why I should opt for any other camera. Has anyone used a Panasonic camera? Is the user interface bad?

 

[ambandla]

all the cams have the wide angle setting.

From the above list, Canon powershot SD800 IS is true wide angle digicam and this camera is one of the best.

*www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=14227

among the two that you mentioned, I would go for Canon as it's better in terms of image quality, build quality, support and warranty.

 

[aryayush]

How is it better than the Panasonic camera? Look at the feature differences between the two above.

As fas as I can see, the Panasonic one seems to be better in almost each aspect. Maybe I am missing something.

Is there any way to know whether the LCD on the Panasonic camera is a touchscreen or not?

You can find a very good review of the Panasonic camera here.

 

[saikibryan]

same sort of posts everywhere...

 

[rahul_becks23]

I recently bought Canon IXUS 60 ........ and it rocks .